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A Day in the Life: In-House Employment Attorney

Published: Sep 01, 2020

 Day in the Life       
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Mia Montpas
Assistant General Counsel, Human Resources, Labor and Benefits
Honeywell International

8:15 AM: Handle a race discrimination allegation from a senior-level employee. Assess the issues and ultimately determine to bring in an independent investigator to handle. (Often I would investigate such an allegation myself, although this issue involves a situation where I am a witness so I cannot do it myself.)

10:30 AM: Counsel a human resource officer regarding a termination in Mexico of an employee for an integrity breach with a customer.

11:00 AM: Revise a letter to a pregnant employee. We're redefining her job duties due to her request to go part-time.

11:30 AM: Discuss a potential plant shut down of a site in South America.

1:15 PM: Discuss a performance management situation. Advise various human resources personnel of the need for documentation and due process (hearings, and so forth).

1:35 PM: Advise human resources personnel regarding an ADA and FMLA issue for an employee who had exhausted FMLA leave but still needs additional time off.

2:15 PM: Look at and research a short-term disability issue as it relates to an ongoing workers compensation case.

2:50 PM: Talk with outside counsel regarding a "whistleblower" case.

3:30 PM: Meet with the president about ongoing business and HR issues at a particular site.

4:10 PM: Discuss four ongoing grievances at one of our union sites. Selected arbitrators with the union.

4:45 PM: Discuss a bonus scheme for employees with HR personnel in our United Kingdom division.

5:30 PM: Research some sex discrimination and harassment issues for a financial employee.

6:00 PM: At the end of the day, I conduct performance management training for a group of managers.

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